NDP urge Liberal government to tackle pay equity

Women in Canada still earn 23 per cent less than men and the NDP will urge the government to tackle that gap in an opposition day motion on Tuesday.

“The gap is even worse for indigenous women, women of colour, transgender women and women living with disabilities. This wage gap contributes to income inequality and is straight-out discrimination against women,” NDP Status of Women Critic Sheila Malcolmson said at a press conference in Ottawa.

Citing the World Economic Forum, Malcolmson said Canada ranks 80th out of 145 countries for gender income equality.

Alarmingly, she said, progress in addressing this issue is slowing and the gap is growing.

“Past governments have missed critical opportunities to take action on the pay gap. In 2000, the Liberal government established a pay equity task force and it tabled a landmark report in 2004 recommending new stand-alone pay equality legislation and that government of the day failed to act,” she said.

“Then in 2009 the Conservatives actually attacked pay equity in the public service. Equal pay for work of equal value is a fundamental human right,” added Malcolmson, who was joined by NDP Deputy Labour Critic Karine Trudel.

In the NDP’s motion, they will request that the government recognize pay equity as a right, implement the recommendations of the 2004 pay equity task force and strike a special committee with a mandate to conduct hearings and propose a plan for the government to implement pay equity.

“There’s no reason women should earn less than men,” said Trudel.

Leading up to opposition day tomorrow, Malcolmson said the NDP will consult their colleagues from other parties, but she’s feeling optimistic.

“We really hope Parliament will support elevating this issue again, it’s well beyond time,” she said.

“It’s costing families, it’s costing the economy. It’s way overdue to do the right thing and I feel pretty good given the intentions and vision of the government that’s been elected that they’ll want to do one of these things that’s inside federal authority.”